REFLECTION FOR THURSDAY OF WEEK 9 IN THE ORDINARY TIME

AND THE MEMORIAL OF ST. CHARLES LWANGA AND

COMPANIONS, BY FR GEORGE AJANA

In the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters, you are welcome to the Thursday of week nine in the
ordinary time, the third of June, 2021. The readings for today’s liturgy are taken
from the book of Tobit 6:10ff, Ps. 128 and the Gospel of St. Mark 12:28-34.

THEME: THE LOVE OF GOD AND STEADFASTNESS IN FAITH

The love of God is undoubtedly to be expressed in our love of neighbour. There is

no way we can claim to have the love of God without loving those who God loves.
The ten commandments can be summarized with just two injunctions: the love of
God as number one and the love of neighbour as the second. As it is said, love is
the fulfilment of the law.

In the first reading of today, we found a display of true love between Tobias and
Sarah. The young, sensible, brave and very beautiful girl called Sarah, the daughter
of Raguel, was under serious demoniac attack. Each of her seven husbands was
killed by an actual devil, Asmodeus, during their first night together. However, she
was redeemed when she met Tobias, who was also delivered by God from an
anguish of grief and remorse. God changed their stories! Tobias was steadfast in
faith and shared his sincere love of God with Sarah. The young couple believed in
the power of God to turn things around for them. Their hope and trust in God did
not disappoint them. I want our youth to learn from the lives of Tobias and Sarah,
especially those that are preparing for marriage. Before you say your final yes to
that man or woman, pray very fervently for God`s intervention. Let God choose for
you. When you eventually get married, love your spouse and be one in mind and
heart. When there is sincere love between a man and a woman, a husband and a
wife, they will survive together. They can weather any storm and overcome all the
problems that come their way.

With their trust in God, Tobias and Sarah, both knelt down to pray before they laid
together. God answered their prayers and delivered them from their misfortune and
impending doom! It is said that a family that prays together stays happily together!
Always pray with your family, as you wake up in the morning and before you
sleep at night. Prayer can change many bad things to good. Families that are
having one challenge or the other, should not give up. They should wait upon the
Lord. They should continue to pray until something good happens. The bible says
in Colossians 4:2 “be steadfast in prayer and even spend the night praying and
giving thanks”.

Let us now look at the lives of the saints, whose memorial we celebrate today.

St Charles Lwanga was a young man, probably in his late teens, who was a page in
the court of king Mwanga. He was one of the 22 Ugandan martyrs who eventually
became the patron of youth and Catholic Action in most tropical Africa. Charles
protected his fellow pages, aged 13 to 30, from the homosexual demand of the
Begandan ruler, Mwanga. King Mwanga, in 1885, initiated a fierce persecution
against ‘all those who pray’ that is, all Catholics. After Mkasa, the Christian master
of the court pages, criticized the king for his immoral acts and for murdering a
group of missionaries, the king had him beheaded. On the same night Mkasa was
martyred, Charles, a catechumen, was baptised. Charles replaced Mkasa as head of
the pages and continued to encourage the young men to refuse to take part in the
Pagan customs of the country. Later, a page named Denis, also instructed a young
boy to become a Christian. Hence, he refused to become involved in the king`s
immoral acts and for this act, king Mwanga in his anger sent for Denis and thrust a
spear through his throat. He also commanded his soldiers to kill Charles Lwanga
and his friends, most of whom were under the age of twenty-five years. Charles
was particularly burnt alive at Namugongo on June 3, 1886. Twelve others
followed him on that day, while others were either beheaded or killed through
other means between May 26, 1886 and January 27, 1887. They prayed and sang
enthusiastically at their deaths. The good example of these young men inspired
other people, and in Africa, the faith grew and spread. It has refused to die. These
exemplary Missionary disciples were beatified in 1920 and when Pope Paul VI
canonised the 22 martyrs on October 18, 1964, he also made reference to the
Anglican pages martyred for the same reason. The Pope then declared:
 ‘‘These African Martyrs inaugurate a new age. Africa

is rising free and redeemed, bathed in their blood.

Christianity has found a ready hearing in Africa,

and we see this as a mysterious plan of God, a

vocation proper to Africa, and a promise of historical

significance. Africa is the new Country of Christ.

A clear witness of this fact is the simplicity and

unshakable fidelity of these young African Christians.’’

The heroic acts of St. Charles Lwanga and his 21 companions should inspire our
present-day youths, boys and girls, young men and women. They should be
courageous and remain steadfast in their faith and in the face of great moral and
physical temptation, poverty, unemployment, injustice and oppression. We must all
remain authentic witnesses to our Christian living and committed missionary
disciples by the example of our own lives.

Let us pray: God, you made the blood of martyrs become the seed of Christians.
May the field of your church, irrigated by the blood of St. Charles Lwanga and his
companions, always produce rich harvests. Amen.

And may the almighty God bless you, the father and the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Amen.